Ridley Scott might be done with the franchise, but there’s clearly a missing chapter in the series that bridges Alien: Covenant to the 1979 original. Counting the franchise’s crossovers with the Predator series, there are a total of nine entries in the Alien movie franchise. There is a surprising amount of variety among them, too; there’s the “Haunted House in Space” chills of Alien, the shoot-em-up action of Aliens, the goofy comedy of Resurrection and so forth. Each new instalment adds to the lore of the saga too, introducing new wrinkles to the lifecycle or wider universe.

After 30 years away from the series, Ridley Scott returned to the Alien franchise with 2012’s Prometheus. This was originally pitched as a prequel that would explain the Derelict spacecraft found on LV-426 in the first film, but it later evolved into something else. Scott had grand plans for his prequel series, with 2017 sequel Covenant seeing David (Michael Fᴀssbender) further his plans to wipe out mankind with these “perfect” creatures. Despite ending on a major cliffhanger, Covenant is unlikely to get a direct sequel, even though it leaves a major gap in the Alien timeline.

Watching The Alien Movies In Timeline Order, There Is Clearly A Missing Chapter

Alien: Awakening should slot right in there

Scott’s somewhat controversial retconning of the series suggested that David created the Xenomorphs himself through tinkering with the black goo. As Alien: Covenant ended, he had a whole colony ship filled with human test subjects to experiment on. Scott had plans for a third and even a fourth prequel, with the unmade Alien: Awakening seeing David becoming a Dr Moreau-like figure creating Xenomorph variants. The critical and commercial letdown of Covenant killed those notions, and the property was given a soft reboot with 2024’s Alien: Romulus.

Without a third movie to wrap up David’s arc, the prequels failed in their mission to fill in what happened between Covenant and the first Alien. It could be argued this is the better option; after all, part of what made the Space Jockey and the Derelict so creepy involved not knowing where they came from. Still, it’s frustrating to see two movies build towards an answer – and then fizzle out before delivering on it.

Flawed as the prequels were, they are also ambitious and mature slices of sci-fi cinema, and David himself is an amazing character. It’s a genuine shame if his storyline is left hanging, though with a Romulus sequel on the horizon, there’s always a chance this plot could get some payoff. In the same way Resurrection or Aliens vs Predator: Requiem had sequel teases that never paid off (thankfully, in AvPR’s case), Covenant’s cliffhanger looks set to remain hanging on that cliff.

Will Ridley Scott Ever Make An Alien Covenant Sequel?

Scott might be “done” with the franchise

When it became clear a direct Alien: Covenant sequel was a non-starter, Scott later selected Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe) to helm Romulus. That midquel proved a solid success and reminded viewers why they loved the series so much. Despite reports that he might return to helm another installment, Scott told Screen Rant “Where it’s going now, I think I’ve done enough, and I just hope it goes further.” This suggests he might be done with the property as a filmmaker, though he could still be involved as a producer.

Scott had a bold vision for the Alien series and how he wanted it to evolve beyond slimy monsters chasing people through vents. Sadly, neither of his prequels fully hit the mark, and viewers longed to return to a more stripped-back version. Now, it’s not out of the question that another Ridley Scott Alien sequel could happen, but with Álvarez hard at work on the next film and Scott busy with other projects, it probably won’t.

Even if Scott himself doesn’t wrap up David’s story, the evil android’s final chapter feels too juicy to ignore. Be it an animated movie, a graphic novel or audiobook, there’s a golden opportunity to wrap up David’s journey and explain how it leads into the start of 1979’s Alien. Some director or creator will inevitably tackle this unresolved question someday, but for now, the saga is moving in a different direction.